I just sent the following note to my Representative Jim Banks and both U.S. Senators, Todd Young and Mike Braun
Dear Senator/Representative XXX
Like all Americans, we were horrified by the evil acts of two shooters this past weekend in El Paso and Dayton. While they are on polar opposite ends of the political spectrum, they were both motivated by hate. America is clearly very divided politically and also struggling to find constructive ways to speak to each other, especially given the overt partisan censorship being carried out by most big tech companies and social media outlets.
However, we were also very troubled to watch President Trump’s brief address yesterday. While we agree with his assessment of both shooters as evil, his proposals are deeply disturbing. Specifically the call to expand so-called “red flag laws” which are a direct infringement on our Constitutional right to due process, guaranteed in the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution. These laws punish people not for any actual criminal act but rather for unspecified crimes they might commit at an unspecified date in the future. It is hard to imagine a law more susceptible to misuse as part of a family argument, during a divorce proceeding or as the act of an angry neighbor. These laws put both law-abiding gun owners who have committed no crime and our law enforcement community at grave risk.
Americans have a right to bear arms for their own defense and the defense of others, a right guaranteed by both the United States and Indiana Constitutions. We also have the right to due process and the presumption of innocence. These are bedrock legal principles and they are now being threatened by both well-intentioned leaders as well as those who seek a total ban and confiscation of privately held arms. The protection of our Second Amendment rights are a non-negotiable issue for our family. We urge you to reject any attempt to further erode those rights, along with our right to due process. There are plenty of steps we can take as a nation to address gun violence but punishing law-abiding citizens for crimes they have not and likely never will commit is fundamentally wrong. We will be closely monitoring your actions in the coming days in the protection of our rights as American and fellow Hoosiers.
Sincerely yours,
I am not sure if it will do any good but we do live in a very pro-2nd Amendment state so perhaps they will listen. Regardless, I would urge you to send something similar to your representatives assuming they are Republicans. Democrats are mostly completely sold out on the issue of gun rights, although some in states like Michigan it might help. Feel free to copy and paste, modify or use your own voice to tell your elected representatives to stay clear of punishing the innocent in the anticipation of them maybe at some point perhaps committing a crime. It is like we are living in Minority Report.
This is partly why I am of the opinion that almost no one should ever seek treatment from a member of the “mental health” community. My interactions with this community have convinced me there is no group of people who are less qualified and also more troubled themselves than the “mental health” profession. There is a significant linkage between mass shooters and various psychotropic drugs that fall under the general description of “Antidepressants” specifically SSRIs. Just do a quick search and the number of articles will astound you with well documented links between psychotropic drugs and mass murders (two quick examples: Antidepressants linked to murders and murderous thoughts and Every Mass Shooting Shares One Thing In Common & It’s NOT Weapons). Bottom line, our “mental health” community prescribes tens of millions of people with power psychotropic drugs and if they are pressed would admit it is mostly a guessing game.
The other problem is that “red flag laws” and background checks won’t stop even a tiny fraction of those committing gun violence because gun violence is not primarily an issue of mental illness or lax gun laws. It will be yet another stepping stone, putting us further down the path toward outright bans and eventual confiscation. Trump gets nothing out of this deal, not politically and not for public safety but Democrat gun-grabbers get a huge victory.
Stand up now and don’t simply assume someone else will defend your rights. This is just the beginning and our enemies are living and breathing confiscation with every waking moment and probably in their dreams. Any moment of hesitation or apathy just hastens the day when the police are forced to start kicking down doors and that isn’t something any sane person should want to see.